


In This Decaying World

by Keyboard_Weaving_Stories



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Always Female Tony Stark, Angst, BAMF Tony Stark, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, F/M, Female Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags May Change, Violence, slow burn probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-07-08 16:07:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15933881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keyboard_Weaving_Stories/pseuds/Keyboard_Weaving_Stories
Summary: “Who are you?” he asked, brow furrowed in confusion as he glanced up to the rope restraining him again. “What do you want?”“Both are excellent questions,” the woman chirped, tucking his knife into her pocket before she bent down to collect his backpack. “My name is Toni and I am robbing you.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> What? A new story? So I know I'm in the middle of writing These Kingdoms We've Built- and I still fully plan to keep up with that story- but I wrote this little chapter in between classes yesterday and I just really wanted to post it! So here! These Kingdoms We've Built will still be my primary story, but I hope having these two stories in the mix will make sure I keep up with updates. That way, if I have writers block with one story I can just work on the other. Anyways, here's my zombie apocalypse, let me know what you guys think!
> 
> Also, plan for really gory depictions, so if that's not your cup of tea, be warned!

The town- if it could even be called that; more like a small group of buildings that converged on the intersection of two small roads- was empty. The roads were decorated with thousands of brightly colored leaves, splotches of orange and red and yellow littered across the decaying asphalt. The windows of each little shop were shattered, empty boxes and used supplies spilling out onto the sidewalk. A blonde man stepped over the debris, blue eyes locked on a small pharmacy on the corner. His jeans were smeared with dirt, the fabric torn in places where they had obviously gotten snagged. His white t-shirt was in a similar state of distress, though less visible under his well-worn leather jacket. A backpack was perched on his back, sagging in a tell-tale way that revealed he had little supplies inside. His only other accessory was a 12 gauge, bolt action shotgun that he had propped against his shoulder.

He approached the pharmacy and surveyed its damage. The door was thrown wide open, the top hinge broken. The pane of glass, much like the display window, was shattered, leaving little glittering shards to crunch underneath his combat boots. He tilted his head to get a better view of the insides of the store, but the late afternoon sun wasn’t quite to his advantage. After a moment of hesitation more, the blonde made the commitment and stepped over the threshold. The shelves were relatively stocked, though not with many things of use. Hairdryers, heating pads, things that required electricity they didn’t have. One row of shelving was knocked over, braced up only by the support of the next set of shelves, leaving a triangular crawl space beneath. One glance underneath proved there was nothing worth climbing in for. The last aisle was adorned with a wooden sign hanging above labeled “FOOD” in intricate yellow letters. The blonde peaked his head around the corner, dismayed to find not a can of food left. There was a single bag of cheese curls on the top shelve, the plastic ripped open to reveal a mess of mold. The rats had probably gotten to it. 

The food was abysmal, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t medical supplies left. His pack was running low on bandages and other first aid equipment; maybe they’d even be lucky enough to find a few of the hard drugs behind the counter, for emergencies or trade. The blonde opened the door leading to the storeroom behind the counter, only to pause. There was a whirling sound, like rope being pulled taut and- A pressure wrapped around his right ankle and the blonde was suddenly on his back. His leg pulled upward of its own accord, until the man was upside down, swinging back and forth in the doorway. The shotgun clambered to the ground, and the blonde ended up having to shrug off his backpack to avoid the downward pressure on his arms. “Shit,” he swore, voice gravelly. 

The blonde glanced up his body, finding the rope wrapping around his ankle disappearing into the ceiling. He’d have to reach up and cut himself down if he wanted to free himself. The man reached to his belt, where a pocket knife was clipped against his hip. It would take some work, but if he could just reach up and-

“Oh no, I’ll take that, please.”

The knife was snatched from his hand, and the blonde was spun around to face a young woman. She was short, probably no older than her early twenties. Her dark waves were cut short, maybe an inch or so below her chin, and her face was smeared with…grease? She was dressed in a band t-shirt, the black ink of the “A” in AC/DC” peeling at the corners. Beneath the t-shirt was the outline of a tank top, possibly to shed layers during the brutal summer that had just passed. She wore a pair of fraying jean shorts, exposing a length of tan legs sporting a pair of black converses. She was young, but her blue eyes watched the blonde like he was her prey. He effectively was. “It’s getting too easy,” she spoke up, her voice authoritative and firm with a hint of…amusement? “People _always_ go for the pharmacies first.”

“Who are you?” he asked, brow furrowed in confusion as he glanced up to the rope restraining him again. “What do you want?”

“Both are excellent questions,” the woman chirped, tucking his knife into her pocket before she bent down to collect his backpack. “My name is Toni and I am robbing you.”

The man huffed at her bluntness, reaching towards her but the brunette took one step back and just out of his reach with a shit-eating grin. “There’s hardly anything for you to take. I’m low on supplies.”

“I’ll say,” Toni huffed, approaching the counter and empty the contents of his bag. “One roll of bandages, four cans of expired soup, a box of shotgun shells, and…what is this, a sketchbook? Lame, you can keep that.”

“I’d like to keep all of it,” the blonde glowered.

“See, we kind of live in a world now where what you might _like_ to happen, probably isn’t what’s going to happen,” the brunette pointed out, packing his bag back up a hoisting it around her shoulder. “Don’t worry, the trap is set on a timer. It’ll release in twenty minutes, by which point I’ll be long gone.”

The blonde made an annoyed sound, blue eyes glaring down the woman as she moved to stand before him. “You’re really going to rob an innocent guy who did nothing to you? Who you don’t even know?”

Toni raised a brow, before groaning. “It’s nothing personal, guy. I’d ask for your name, but then it kind of humanizes the victim and then robbing you seems like such a bummer, you know?”

“Yeah, I’d hate for this to be a burden on your conscience,” he muttered sarcastically. “But I do want you to know my name so what you’ve done here, possible sentencing a man to death by taking all of his supplies, will stay with you. It’s-“

“Nope,” Toni covered her ears, stepping backwards towards where there must be some back exit. “Can’t hear you! Sorry! What did you say?”

“His name is Steve.”

The new voice rang out in the small supply room, and Toni moved to spin around on her feet when the butt of a rifle clipped her temple and sent her to the ground unconscious. Standing above her was a larger brunet, his jeans in a similarly dirty state as the Steve’s, though he was adorned in a green and black flannel rather than a leather jacket. His brown eyes were on the girl at his feet, before he leveled the blonde with an incredulous look. “Seriously? You were going to let yourself get robbed by a hundred-and-twenty-pound kid half your size?”

“I was a little preoccupied, Bucky,” Steve grumbled, motioning towards his captured leg.

“Doing what?” Bucky asked, stepping over the unconscious girl and taking his own knife from the sheath strapped to his thigh. “Hanging out?”

Steve rolled his eyes, placing his hands to the floor to slow his fall as Bucky pulled up a chair and stepped up to cut him loose from the trap. “Very funny,” he muttered, his feet hitting the ground before he pushed himself up. “Took you long enough to find me.”

“I was searching the general store,” the brunet huffed, approaching the girl and sliding Steve’s bag from her arm. He tossed it over to his partner, who quickly shoved his sketchbook in with the rest of his belongings. “I didn’t realize you were _held up_ until I got out and you weren’t waiting for me outside.”

Steve picked up his shotgun and slid the strap over his shoulder, approaching the brunette girl and rolling her to her back. There was a nasty welt already forming on her temple, but she seemed otherwise peaceful. “You realize we can’t leave her like this, right?”

“Oh no. _No_. You cannot feel sorry for someone who just tried to rob you,” Bucky pointed his finger at the blonde, stalking towards him. “We certainly can leave her and we will.”

“So what? We leave her here with nothing? Out in the open so anything can get her?” Steve argued. He bent down and hooked his arms under her shoulders and knees, lifting the brunette’s limp form into his arms. 

“She was going to do it to you!”

Steve moved past Bucky and back out into the store. “That doesn’t make it right. So let’s try and be better.”

Bucky threw his hands up in the air, but followed after the blonde dutifully. They stepped back out into the open street, the setting sun barely visible over the tops of the trees surrounding the small town. “When she fucks us over, don’t blame me.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Look, it’s almost night so we have to find shelter anyways. We find a place, stay the night. Then we’ll see when she wakes up and decide what to do with her.”

“I’m restraining her. Unconscious or not, I’m not giving her the opportunity to kill us or something,” Bucky muttered under his breath, shifting the rifle in his hands. “Over there,” he pointed towards a two-story building across the street. “Looks like there’s apartments over that restaurant. We can barricade in there.” 

“Lead the way.”

* * *

_Despite all of the wonderful opportunities and technology MIT provided her with, Toni always found that her greatest creations were born in her father's lab. A large, high-security room nestled in the basement floor of their mansion, the lab always made Toni feel at home. There was a familiarity in the loose files and abandoned tools that cluttered the tabletops, with the distinct smell of iron that tainted the air. Howard had always fussed that Toni was a distraction when they shared the space; his classified work required a great deal of attention and secrecy, and she did not always respect that. And although the man would swear up and down since she was a child that he'd build Toni her own separate lab, here she was at fifteen seated at her father's usual work bench. Toni never thought this to be an accident. The lab could be a lonely place at times, and Toni suspected her father enjoyed her company just as much as he protested it._

_But her father was not here today. No, Howard Stark was in a business meeting with some military officials, as he had been for the past three days. Her mother, on the other hand, was working at the foundation today in preparation for a holiday event. Toni would most likely not see or hear from either of them until well past dinner time. So much for spending Thanksgiving break with the family. It doesn't matter. Toni has plenty of work to do here, developing her own artificial intelligence. Child's play, really. She was currently bent over her laptop, a cup of coffee clutched in her hands while her eyes scanned the codes on the screen. So lost in her work, she barely noticed the intercom on the wall buzzing to life until Jarvis' soft voice disturbed the quiet._

_"Miss, your lunch is ready. While I would love to encourage your habit of secluding yourself in the lab, I am afraid I will have to make you stretch your legs. A sandwich is waiting for your here on the kitchen table, as well as a fresh cup of coffee. I can only assume that the one you are most likely clinging too now is cold."_

_Toni's lips quirked. Leave it to Jarvis to draw her from her hole with fresh coffee and sarcasm. There is a bug in her coding that she must be overlooking, but it’s nothing that a full stomach and fresh eyes can't solve. Pushing herself up from the table, Toni pressed a finger to the intercom. "Be right up, J. Please tell me it's a ham sandwich?" When she received no response, Toni groaned and rolled her eyes. "I get it. I have to come up and see for myself, don't I?"_

_She took the stairs two by two, her mind on the codes that were awaiting her return. Maybe she should run her notes by her father later on and see what- no. No, this was Toni's invention and hers alone. She could figure this out for herself and let her father see the finished project. Show the world a Toni Stark original. "Alright, J, you got me. Here I am-"_

_There was blood. So much fucking blood that Toni had to grab at the door frame to keep herself upright. It stained the counters and the tile floor, a streak leading into the pantry as if someone was dragged inside. And Jarvis was nowhere to be found. "Jarvis?" Toni called, voice hollow and unsure. She had a genius IQ and yet her mind refused to process what was going on. Was there an attack? Did someone break in? "Jarvis!"_

_Her eyes fell to the streak on the floor, and her stomach churned with a feeling of dread when she heard a faint noise come from the pantry. Without thinking, she grabbed the knife from the abandoned cutting board and followed the bloody path towards the pantry. With brief hesitation, Toni approached the cracked door, before pushing it open completely._

_The knife fell from her hand._

_There, on the floor, was Jarvis. The man who had helped raise her, who had encouraged her to attempt even her wildest ideas. There he was, sprawled across the floor with his stomach ripped open, lifeless eyes staring up at the ceiling. Crouched above him was an older woman, her teeth bared and chin blood-stained. Her clothes were ripped and her hair was a tangled mess, but Toni recognized her as the gardener. "Ms. Johnson?" Toni rasped in disbelief, her eyes trailing down to the hand that the woman had inside of Jarvis, holding what looked to be like one of the butler’s organs._

_The woman growled and straightened out, charging Toni with a combination of jerky movements and feral sounds. She knocked the girl to the ground, and Toni only had mere seconds to throw up her hands in defense before the gardener began snapping her teeth towards Toni's neck. Toni was only faintly aware of the screams escaping her own mouth, all of her focus going towards holding the thing back. What could she do? Toni's hand slipped from the woman's shoulder to her neck, her free hand grasping out at the floor wildly. The knife, she had to get the knife. Her fingers brushed cold metal and if she reached just a little further..._

_Toni's hands closed around the handle and she drove the blade into Ms. Johnson's temple. The woman's body jerked, gray eyes staring back at Toni for a brief moment before she went limp and slumped down on top of her. Toni shoved the woman aside and, chest heaving in terror, she forced herself to her knees and looked down at what she had done. She killed someone- no. She killed_ something. _Whatever that was that just attacked her was not the same sweet old woman who would sneak Toni candies and show her how to plant flowers as a child. Whatever laid before her had tried to attack her. She was justified in killing it, right? Toni turned back towards the pantry, crawling forward to kneel beside Jarvis. "No, no, J. You can't...you aren't dead. I know you aren't. Wake up, come on," Toni insisted, cupping the man's cheek and feeling around desperately for a pulse._

 _Logically, she knew he was dead. Hell, half of his insides were spilled out on the floor. But this was_ Jarvis. _He was never supposed to go; he was supposed to live forever and ever and watch over Toni like he always had. Toni leaned back against the shelves, taking Jarvis' hand in her own and giving a squeeze. He wasn't dead._

_She didn't know how long she sat there, but it felt like hours. Her eyes never left Jarvis, in fear she might miss some form of movement that would let her know he was alive. She didn't move until she heard the front door open and close. “Antonia?” Her father’s voice was sharp and panicked, and Toni scrambled out from the pantry._

_“Dad?” Toni found him in the study, quickly collecting a few of his work folders from his desk. “Dad, I just… I just…” She couldn’t work it out, shaky hands shoving through her dark curls. “Jarvis is…”_

_Howard’s eyes flicked up to meet her briefly, before he returned his attention towards shoving files in his bag. “Antonia, you need to calm down and listen to me. Run upstairs and pack a bag. Have Jarvis help. We’re leaving. I don’t think we’ll be returning to this house for a while, so pack what you care about, alright?”_

_Toni’s brow furrowed, lungs constricting. She had to tell him about Jarvis, about what Ms. Johnson has done. But what was he saying? They were leaving? Not coming back? “I don’t underst- Dad. Jarvis is…” Toni choked, slumping against the doorframe._

_“What are you- Toni,” Howard set his bag on his desk and moved towards her, grabbing her shoulder. “Toni,_ listen. _There’s a virus spreading rapidly through the city. Spreading through the country. People are dying and they’re- Christ, this sounds ridiculous- they’re coming back to life.”_

_Zombies. He was joking, right? This had to be a fucking joke. There was no such thing as zombies, let alone some virus that could reanimate corpses. But then… Ms. Johnson. There feral look in her eyes as she tore into Jarvis, as she went for Toni’s jugular. Toni grabbed at her father’s arm, finally meeting his eyes and tightening her grip. “Jarvis is dead. The gardener killed him in the kitchen and I-I…I killed her.”_

_Howard faltered, stepping back and wiping a hand over his mouth. “Where is he?”_

_“The kitchen,” Toni rasped sadly, and Howard nodded shakily._

_“I’ll take care of it. He should…he won’t remain dead for long,” he whispered, and Toni felt sick to her stomach. The idea that Jarvis could become a feral creature like Ms. Johnson… “Go upstairs and pack a bag. We’re being evacuated from the city. The military is going to escort us and a few other experts to safety to develop an antidote. But we have to hurry.”_

_“But mom-“_

_Howard faltered again, and it was such a tell-tale sign that dread twisted in Toni’s gut. He took a step back, clearing his throat shakily and moving back to his bag. “You’re mother is gone, Antonia. I… I saw her myself. The foundation was overrun about an hour ago. She had already turned by the time I stopped to get her.” And then, Toni saw something she had never seen before. There were tears in Howard Stark’s eyes. Not a single one made it free from his eyes, but they were there nonetheless. Blood was rushing to Toni’s head and she covered her mouth to smother a pained sob. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening. Howard cleared his throat, keeping his eyes on his paperwork as he continued packing. “Go get your bag, Antonia.”_

_Jarvis was dead. Her mother was dead. The world was collapsing around her and she couldn’t stop it. For fuck’s sake, she’s seventeen. Being in college at this age was supposed to be her only challenge. Now, it was about surviving. Surviving with half of her family lost to a virus. “Dad, please. This can’t be fucking real. This can’t-“_

_A groan echoed down the hallway, cutting her off._

_Both Toni and Howard tensed, listening to the sound of stumbling footsteps grow nearer. They both knew who it was. Toni stepped back from the doorway and closer to her father, the two watching with pained expressions as Jarvis entered the doorway. But this wasn’t her Jarvis. This one stared them down with blank eyes, a gaping hole in his abdomen. He was slow, but each of his steps forward fell with a deliberate and uncontrollable stomp. One bloodied hand reached out and Toni felt her chest tighten. Killing Ms. Johnson was one thing, but fighting off the man who had cared for her since childhood? It was degrading in a way, seeing this wonderful man reduced to a creature. Howard stepped forward, hand closing around a small figurine on the corner of his desk. It was an ugly little marble statue her mother had picked up in Paris. Tears were blurring her vision, but she nonetheless watched as her father approached Jarvis’ body with resounding decisiveness._

_“You don’t need to watch this,” was his only warning, before he swung the statue._

* * *

When Toni woke, it was to a splitting headache. She was sprawled across a dingy couch, hands bound by a cable tie synched around her wrists. She lifted herself up to her knees, reaching her hands up to touch at her left temple only to hiss in pain. “You’re probably going to want to leave that alone.” Toni’s head snapped to the side, finding two men settled on the floor by the coffee table. There was two paper plates on the wooden table, a small mound of what looked to be like beans heaped on each plate. A candle sat between her and them, illuminating the small room in an orange glow. The one was the blonde she had caught, and the other must have been his partner that nailed her in the head. Asshole. The brunet pointed a metal fork at the girl, talking around a mouthful. “Not that you didn’t deserve it.”

Toni glowered at the two, shifting back on her ass and leaning back into the couch cushions. “He’s not wrong. You did try and rob me,” the blonde piped up, scooping up a forkful of beans.

Toni ignored the two, instead focusing her attention on their whereabouts. Looked like an apartment by the locks on the door and the layout. They were in what must be the main room, half a kitchen and half a living room. The place looked like it had been ransacked, most likely by its owners leaving in a hurry or looters. Everyone was a looter nowadays. There were two doorways to her left. One had an open door, and Toni could clearly see it was a bathroom. The other door lead to what must be the bedroom. One look over her shoulder revealed a window to her back, though it was pitch black outside. Great. Turning her glare back on her two captors, Toni huffed. “So what,” Bucky asked, raising a brow at the girl. “You’re just going to pretend we aren’t here?”

“I’m thinking,” Toni snapped. “I’m sorry it’s taking me a minute to process things. I probably have a concussion thanks to you.”

“You were _robbing_ my partner. What did you want me to do? Let you walk on out with our shit?” Bucky hissed, leaning forward and narrowing her eyes on the girl. “If it was up to me, we would’ve left you in that pharmacy on the floor.”

“I wish you had!” came Toni’s snarky reply, lips curled back in a sneer. “Then I wouldn’t have to look at your ugly face right now.”

Steve smacked his hand on the table. “That’s enough, children. We’re stuck in here for the night, so let’s not spend the entire time miserable and at each other’s throats.” Steve gave Bucky a look, before leveling his gaze on Toni. “You said your name was Toni. My name is Steve and this is Bucky.”

“’Bucky’ is a stupid name,” Toni mumbled under her breath, looking away and studying the broken picture frames on the wall. A young couple used to live here. “Why did you bring me with you?”

“Because, even though what you did was shitty, I wasn’t going to leave you there by yourself and injured,” Steve assured, taking one last bite of the beans before he slid his plate across the table towards Toni. “Here. Eat.”

“Not hungry.”

“Then why were you trying to steal my food earlier?” Steve questioned, giving the girl a knowing look.

Toni shrugged her shoulders. “Because I’m smart, and it’s much easier to steal supplies from people. They do all the looting for me so I don’t have to.”

Bucky huffed, finishing off his last bite before leaning back on his palms. “And you don’t care that you’re screwing people over?”

“I don’t know if you two have noticed, but the world is shit right now,” Toni spat, waving her hands dismissively. “It’s every man for themselves out here. We do what we have to do to survive and that’s what I intend on doing.”

“You know, “Steve murmured, tapping a finger on the table. “Your chances of survival are much higher if you’re with a group. But there’s no chance of anyone traveling with you if they’re worried you’ll screw them over.”

Toni rolled her eyes, and shook her head. “The only person I need to count on is myself. Having a group would only slow me down.” 

Bucky waved his hand at her, shaking his head and pushing himself up. “She’s a lost cause, Stevie. Don’t waste your breath,” he muttered, offering his hand to the blonde. “Let’s get some sleep.” 

Steve took the brunet’s hand, pulling himself up and nodding towards the bedroom. “Wait,” Toni argued, holding her bound hands up towards the two men. “You’re going to leave me like this?”

“For tonight? Hell yeah. We certainly can’t trust you,” Bucky shook his head, pausing in the bedroom doorway and giving her a smug look. “So you’ll just have to stay like that until tomorrow morning. By then, we’ll know what to do with you.”

“He’s right. It would be better for all of us. Just… try and get some rest. Sleep off the headache I’m sure you have,” Steve said, giving her a helpless shrug before he followed Bucky into the bedroom.

Toni glowered, slumping back against the couch and taking a breath. Fine. The wanted to make an enemy out of her, she’d show them. She waited, listening to the sounds of their soft voices in the bedroom as they settled down for sleep. Even after they grew silent, Toni waited until she was sure they had to be asleep. Using the light of the candle, she sprang into action. Untying the shoelaces of her converses, Toni carefully threaded one lace through the loop of the zip tie using her fingers and teeth. Once through, Toni tugged the lace back down towards her shoes and tied it in a knot using the lace of her other shoe. Leaning onto her back, Toni rotated her feet in the air as if pedaling a bicycle, allowing the tied laces to thread back and forth through the zip tie. The friction of the flossing motion weakened the cable, and with a sharp tug, Toni snapped her bindings. Oh, those fuckers were screwed now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! I started this story with absolutely no plans at all, but I just got so many ideas over the weekend that it just started coming together and I had to get things down on paper. I was originally only going to have Toni flashbacks, but I figured you guys would like to see into Steve and Bucky's past too here and there. Anyhow, here you go!

_“You’re being quiet.”_

_Bucky raised an eyebrow, eyes still glued to the television even as he angled his head towards his boyfriend’s voice. “Is that concerning to you?”_

_“Terrifying, actually.”_

_Bucky scowled at the joke, but finally tore his eyes away from the new report to level Steve with a glare. His lover stood in the doorway of the bathroom, rubbing a towel over his freshly shaved jaw. It was nearing ten in the morning and Steve would normally be back from his run by now, but the blonde had yet to leave. Must not want to go until Bucky was ready, then. “That’s not funny.”_

_Steve gave him an amused smile, the asshole, turning to toss the towel onto the bathroom counter before approaching the bed. “What’s on your mind? Is it about the honorable discharge? I thought you would be happy to be back in Brooklyn.”_

_“I’d be happy if my arm hadn’t gotten fucked up,” Bucky muttered in response, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back into the headboard. “You should be back over there serving, doing what you love.”_

_“Your arm is not ‘fucked up.’ You were shot during your mission and now there’s nerve damage, but that’s it. You’ve been doing so well at physical therapy and it hasn’t shown signs of worsening.” Steve muttered, taking a seat on the edge of the bed beside Bucky and grabbing his hand. “I love you and you’re here. I go where you go, and if you’re in Brooklyn? So am I.”_

_Bucky huffed, but his eyes softened as Steve brought Bucky’s left hand to his mouth, pressing his lips against his palm. “You’re a sap.”_

_“You love that about me,” Steve accused, grinning as he drew Bucky up into a brief kiss. “Now please get up so we can enjoy our day-“_

_“Shut up,” Bucky muttered, eyes back on the television screen over Steve’s shoulder._

_“Excuse me?”_

_“Steve,” Bucky forcibly grabbed the blonde’s shoulders, turning him to face the television._ ”Look.” __

_The news report had now been labeled “breaking” in bold red letters, and the footage that flooded the screen was terrifying. Hospitals in multiple states up in flames, people running down the streets to escape dead bodies in pursuit, the military marching through the city to establish perimeters. Steve pressed a hand to his mouth, shaking his head. “Good God, what the hell is happening? That’s here?”_

_Bucky rolled out of the bed, moving towards the bedroom window and gazing down to the street in front of their small apartment building. “I had just been watching the reports. There was some virus affecting multiple patients, but they said they were still collecting facts, that it wasn’t a major health concern yet. But that- fuck. Fuck, it’s crazy down there. Cars are already lining up on the street, Steve.”_

_“Bucky, look.” The news report had flicked off suddenly, giving way to a government broadcast with a looped audio recording. “State of emergency. Jesus, that isn’t a virus, it’s a pandemic.”_

_Bucky was already shaking his head, turning towards the closet. “Those fucking things in the news report? Those were fucking zombies, Steve. Back from the dead, living corpses.”_

_“Bucky, that can’t be all. We should-“_

_Bucky turned to Steve, kneeling before him and cupping his cheeks in his hands. “Stevie, baby, look at me. This isn’t good. You remember those reports we overheard when I was in the hospital? This has been brewing for a while and that?” Bucky pointed to the television. “That’s the warning that the government lost control of it. We need to leave. The city is not where we want to be.”_

_Steve looked over the brunet for a long moment before nodding slowly, standing. “Pack a bag. Essentials only. Grab your pistol from the safe, I’ll get my keys. We’ll get through the traffic quicker on my bike.”_

_“That’s my boy,” Bucky murmured, tugging Steve in quick for a kiss. It tasted like panic and Bucky felt sick to his stomach. “We’ll make it through this, Steve.”_

* * *

“Steve!”

The blonde’s eyes snapped open immediately, whatever light sleep he had been able to muster through the night shattering with one word. That’s all it took nowadays. Steve kicked away the thin sheet they had managed to curl up under the night before, finding the other half of the bed void of his partner. Running on instinct now, the man rolled out of bed and reaching for his shotgun on the bedside table- gone. Where was it? How was he supposed to save Bucky? Steve pushed his way into the living room of the dingy apartment they had set up camp in, finding his lover standing beside the couch with his arms crossed. Seeing no immediate threat, Steve blinked in confusion. “I don’t-“

Bucky raised a hand, holding between his thumb and index finger a thin piece of plastic cable. Only then did Steve grasp the situation. The girl was gone, and with her, their possessions. Steve’s shotgun, his knife, Bucky’s backpack, all of the supplies from Steve’s bag, gone. Steve glanced towards the entrance and although the door was still closed, the chair they had barricaded it with the night before was moved to the side. “I told you she would fuck us over. And we didn’t even hear her do it! That tiny kid snuck around us, got our weapons while we were sleeping, and took off with everything.”

On the coffee table was Steve’s sketchbook and Bucky’s pistol. There was no note attached, but Steve knew what the girl was trying to say: _You’re lucky I’m leaving you with this._ She could have just left Bucky’s pistol on him, but she had taken it to prove the point that she could. “I know you’re upset,” Steve started, holding a hand out towards his lover. “But take a minute and breathe, alright? We’ll figure this out.”

“There’s nothing to figure out. We’re hunting her down,” Bucky declared, tossing the zip tie aside and sliding his pistol into his holster. “She couldn’t have gotten too far. Maybe we could pick up her trail and catch up to her.”

“Bucky, what are the odds that-“

“Oh no, Stevie. We did this your way, now it’s time to do it my way,” Bucky insisted, carefully tucking Steve’s sketchbook into his backpack and tossing it to the blonde. “That’s all the supplies we had, and this town has nothing in it. We either find her or we starve for the next few days until we reach a new town.”

Steve shook his head, rubbing a hand over his face. “Buck, there’s no way we’re going to find her. She could have left hours ago and that’s a big head start in a world where we can’t track her.”

Bucky made a face, but Steve knew he agreed. There was nothing they could do about it. “Fine. _Fine_. But if we run into her again-“

“You are not going to kill her,” Steve cut him off with a pointed look.

“Maybe not directly, but I am going to take all of her shit and see how she likes it,” Bucky muttered, leading the way out of the apartment. “And you certainly aren’t convincing her to join us; I know you. I’m not giving her the chance to screw us over again.”

Steve huffed, following the brunet down the stairs and out into the abandoned intersection. He kept close to the man, eyes darting around to check for any sort of danger while Bucky led them past the storefronts and towards the surrounding forest. “I say we keep heading north like we planned. We at least know from the map in the last town that there’s a community ten miles up. It’s our closest chance at looting.”

Bucky grunted, but nodded. From there, they continued on in silence, a comfortable norm for them. Too much noise could draw attention and, with only one gun, they were already at a disadvantage. Steve had honestly hoped he could get through to Toni, maybe show her there were people in the world worth fighting with rather than putting the weight of her survival solely on her own shoulders. But that opportunity was gone, alone with their supplies and weapons. She really did fuck them over. 

It was an hour into their hike along the side of the abandoned road, weaving through trees here and there, when they heard it. A high pitched scream to their left. It frightened the birds, who squawked and fluttered from the trees in a massive flock. “Oh, this is looking like my lucky day, Stevie. Sounds like our thief got into some trouble,” Bucky grinned over his shoulder, raising his pistol and taking off through the trees.

“Bucky, wait!” 

Steve was after him instantly, stumbling through the crispy leaves and the twisting roots in an effort to keep up with the brunet. When he finally caught up to the man, Steve only had a brief instant to reach out and fist his hand in Bucky’s flannel before the man could fall over the side of a cliff. It wasn’t too steep of a drop, maybe ten feet or so, but it would be enough to hurt. Bucky panted, stepping back from the edge and looking back to Steve in gratitude. “You could’ve hurt yourself, Bucky, don’t just go taking off like that.” Steve glanced around, finding that the edge of the cliff traveled some ways in both directions. “I don’t see her anywhere, Buck.”

“I do.”

Steve turned to the man in confusion, only to follow his gaze over the edge and towards the rocky ground below. A little to their right was a small brunette figure, lying face down on the stone with an orange-clad zombie laying only a few feet away. It was a hunter, if the orange vest was anything to go by, and it must’ve spooked the girl right over the edge just as easily as Bucky had almost gone over. The thing must have followed her down.

* * *

_The SUV bounced along the small backroad, carving its way through a dense thicket of trees. It was easier than taking the highway, which, if it was anything like the city streets, was most likely chaotic. Toni sat beside her father in the backseat, face pressed against the window, blue eyes numbly watching the passing sycamores. Howard was in a heated conversation with a general in the passenger seat. Toni couldn’t bring herself to listen to their words, her mind still reeling from their escape from the city._

_After Howard had taken care of Jarvis and the two had packed a bag of their belongings, a military escort was already waiting for them outside the Manhattan mansion. From there, in the seclusion of their driveway, the city seemed no different than usual. But the moment their car hit the streets? It was clear the city was in panic. The roads were already lined with cars, horns blasting and people leaning out their windows to get a better view of the traffic ahead. People flocked to the sidewalks, carrying bags and children and anything that could be of value to them. The things by which people measure their life, condensed down into a duffle bag. They were all moving like a wave, shoving their way in any direction that would lead them out of the city. Some were taking advantage of the panic, bashing in store windows and grabbing what they could. On one street corner, a young man burst out of the doors of a pharmacy. Carrying only a jug of water and an inhaler, he hurled apologies over his shoulder to a pursuing store clerk as he ran to catch up to his family. A pretty brunette with a two-year-old girl. The commotion wasn’t the worst part – it was the undead creatures that moved through the crowds, appearing from alleyways and sending the crowds nearby screaming. To think this had been happening all morning and Toni had barely been affected in her cushy mansion. If it hadn’t been for the gardener…_

_Her privilege hadn’t only protected her from the initial outbreak; it was now getting her out of the city safely. Military checkpoints had been established at every other intersection, and the moment their escort flashed their lights, the driver was being waved along through the leftmost lane which had been kept clear. Toni could still see the people screaming from the streets, spitting insults or begging for them to stop and take their children._

_New York had effectively fallen into pandemonium. The pandemic had only been officially declared out of control for the past three hours, spreading among citizens at an exponential rate. The public had only been made aware an hour ago._

_They had been on the road for almost an hour now, exiting the city with no trouble and weaving their way through backroads to reach the Air National Guard Base north of the city. They would be safe, Howard had promised her. Only because millions of others were forced out of their way and left to the mercy of those creatures, Toni thought back. The military could only kill off so many in those packed streets without accidentally hitting citizens._

_The afternoon sun filtered through the golden canopy of leaves above, muted grey through the tinted windows of the SUV. Toni turned back towards her father, who kept his eyes forward. Toni didn’t miss the way his fingers tapped out a nervous rhythm on his knee. The backroad emerged from the trees long enough to run parallel to the main road, and both father and daughter looked out to their right to survey the cars that lined the highway. In the distance, the outline of a tank was visible, moving amongst the traffic._

_The creatures moved among the cars here too._

_The SUV entered a gate, and they were suddenly speeding down a runway towards a group of hangars. The base was alive with activity. Other SUVs carrying diplomats, scientists, and other people of importance lined the airfield, while military personnel waved planes along into position. The others not in charge of escorting people to the planes were standing guard, heavy machine guns propped in their hands. It mimicked the chaos of the city, Toni thought, only slightly more organized._

_Their SUV sped to a stop alongside the others, and the general in the front seat turned to face them. “Stark, you’re scheduled to leave on the next plane. It will take you to our secure location in Ontario with the rest of the cure research team.”_

_“And the others waiting for transport?” Howard asked, pointedly looking at the huddled businessmen and personnel waiting outside the various hangars._

_“Scattered locations. Some will be returning to their own countries, others are being rerouted to secure bases to oversee government and militia organization.”_

_Howard grunted, opening his door and sliding out of the car. Toni followed suit, sliding her bag over her shoulder and freeing herself from the SUV. Outside, it was much easier to feel the panic. Soldiers were yelling orders, cars were speeding up and down the tarmac, combinations of planes and helicopters prepared for takeoff. It was stifling in a way not unlike the city had been. Toni stood beside her father, looking over the other families waiting for transport. Diplomats, businessmen, generals. They all wore the same scared expression of the citizens trapped in the city. They pretended that they knew what they were doing, but in the end? They felt just as lost as Toni did. It was a characteristic that had become universal as of an hour ago: confusion, extreme fear, and pa-_

_It started quiet at first, a low whine that built up in decibels until it was a shrill wail. Toni pressed her hands to her ears, trying her best to block out the alarm as it continuously increased from whine to wail and back again. The general who had been talking to her father mimicked her action, turning towards the guard towers posted along the fence line of the base. “Get that alarm off now! Hurry!” He ordered to the closest soldier, who quickly took to her radio._

_“Are we under attack?” Toni called over the siren, following the general’s gaze._

_The soldier with the radio pressed the device to her ear, listening to a response before she stepped in closer to the general. “Sir, the alarm is malfunctioning. Engineers are working to get it off.”_

_“We aren’t under attack, but we will be,” the general warned ominously. “Those fucking_ things _are attracted to noise. Get everyone on their planes now! I want the schedule pushed up!”_

_Toni looked over the fence line and, sure enough, figures were beginning to wander from the main road and gather along the barrier. They were pressing into the flimsy metal, overwhelming the guards at the gate. The sound of machine gun fire echoed in the distance, but it didn’t stop the swell of dead bodies that pushed through the gate and flooded onto the airfield. Toni watched on, frozen in horror even as the families waiting beside began to scream, pushing their way towards the waiting planes._

_“Antonia, come on. This is our plane.” Howard’s hand brushed her shoulder before he pushed past her and towards a plane that was lowering its stairs._

_The creatures-_ zombies _\- moved towards the hangars with the determination of a hungry animal stalking prey. That’s what they were doing. Many of them looked like normal citizens, save for the various wounds or bite marks that had obviously been their end. There was still quite some distance between her and the horde, but she knew what to expect: glassy, white eyes and slack jaws that uttered groans and other dying sounds. A group of soldiers were already forming a line at the edge of the runway, raising their guns and firing into the dead in the hopes of keeping them at bay. But more and more were drawn through the gates, the sirens beckoning to all the creatures that would listen._

 __”Antonia!” __

_The teen broke from her trance, turning to see that her father was no longer at her side. Howard stood at the base of the stairs of their plane, one hand outstretched towards her as he pushed aside the other scientists boarding. No, no, no. “Dad!” Toni took a hesitant step forward, pushing through the other families that were filtering between them. “Dad!”_

_A scream rang out, and one of the zombies had broken through the line of defense, now sinking its teeth into a blonde woman. The soldier posted at their plane began to usher the scientists onboard, grabbing Howard by the shoulder and forcing him up the stairs despite his protests. “Antonia! Wait, that’s my daughter, she’s coming and-“_

_He was pushed through the doorway and the stairs began their ascent into the body of the plane. “Dad!” Toni screamed, full on shoving aside people now as she ran across the asphalt. She shed her bag without a thought, tossing it to the side and taking off as quick as she could towards the plane. “Wait! No, you have to-“_

_Toni’s foot caught the asphalt at a bad angle and she tumbled forward, landing hard on the ground. The screams of civilians, the gunfire, the sirens, all of the panic faded until the only thing Toni could hear was a high-pitched whine. She laid there on the ground, shell-shocked, as her father’s plane took off down the runway and into the sky._

* * *

When Toni opened her eyes, she was lying flat on a slab of stone facing the decaying face of a hunter. The creature laid only six feet away, legs buckled and snapped from the fall. It was immobilized, but that didn’t stop the thing from desperately reaching its hand out towards her, fingers scraping at the ground beneath them. It opened its mouth repeatedly, but no sound escaped except a rasping sigh.

But the walker that had spooked her only moments before was now of no concern to Toni. The only thing the brunette could truly process was the sharp pain in her right arm, wedged between her stomach and the rock ground. Left hand shakily pressing into the stone, Toni tried to force herself up but to no avail; her elbow buckled and she landed back down hard on her injured arm. A pained sound escaped her lips, fresh tears trailing down her cheeks as she slammed her left hand into the ground in a vain attempt to compose herself and block out the excruciating discomfort. So this was how she’d die, huh? No blaze of glory, no fiery end, just lying at the bottom of a cliff with a dead hunter who couldn’t even eat her.

Fuck that.

Toni pressed her hand back against the ground and, after a moment of steeling herself, pushed herself up to her knees. The pain was tremendous, blood pounding in her ears as her dizzy vision focused on her surroundings. There was a stream before her, maybe only ten feet away. Its banks were steep, a quick drop off in the rough stone. What could she possibly do with that? Maybe she could… no, she could barely keep herself on her knees as it was. Toni just needed to stop and think this through, take a moment and-

Warm hands curled around her shoulder, and Toni could only allow herself to be rolled to her back. Above her, knelt on either side, was the two men she had robbed only hours before. Fate was funny like that, wasn’t it?

They were talking, exchanging panicked words and Toni could only watch their mouths move, brow furrowed. The blonde- Steve, was it? Steve smoothed back the strands of hair that clung to her sweaty forehead, examining her response before he shook his head to his brunet partner- Bucky. Right, the one with the stupid name. Bucky, who was gingerly prodding at her right forearm and Toni only belatedly realized what they were discussing.

Reality snapped into focus immediately and Toni jerked under their hands, shaking her head ferociously. “No. No, no just leave it. Leave me, its fine,” she begged.

“It’s not fine. It’s broken,” Bucky snapped back, but with more frustration at the situation than anger at her. 

“Can you fix it?” The blonde asked, tightly gripping at Toni’s left hand in some vague notion of comfort. 

Bucky nodded once. “It’s a closed fracture, which means the bone hasn’t broken skin. But the bone is definitely displaced, I can feel it. I should be able to reset it.”

“You know what you’re doing?” Toni rasped, staring down the man with watery eyes.

“I received some training when I was in the service,” Bucky nodded. “I can’t promise it’ll be perfect, but it’ll at least heal. That’s the best you’ll get out here.”

Toni nodded jerkily, resting her head back. “Then do it. Just do it.”

Bucky was already reaching past her, grabbing the backpack she had stolen that must have landed close by in the fall. Steve gave her dark curls another reassuring pet before he took his knife from her pocket and turned to dispose of the hunter that had caused her fall. “What do you need me to do, Buck?”

“Cut away her t-shirt- no, stop blushing, now’s not the time- cut it so we have the extra cloth,” Bucky ordered, standing from her side. “Cut a strip of it and wet it in the stream. Keep her cool and calm while I get what I need.”

The brunet ran off while Steve took his knife and made quick work of her AC/DC t-shirt until she was down only to her tank top. Tearing a strip of cloth free, the blonde raced to the stream and dabbed it in the cold water before wringing it out. He returned to her side moments later. “It’s going to be alright, Bucky’s going to fix you up,” Steve murmured to her, wiping away the sweat from her face before pressing the cloth to her forehead. “He’s the best in crises.”

“He wants me dead,” Toni rasped, but it was more of a joke than a jab as she laid her head back and stared up at the grey sky above. 

“You did attempt to rob us. Twice,” Steve admitted, taking her hand back into his and stroking her left forearm. “And then got hurt afterwards. Twice. You think that’s a sign?”

“I don’t need a sign to know I’m a shitty person, thank you, I got that,” Toni mumbled softly. “Just trying to survive. I just want to survive,” she whispered, sadder, turning her head away so she didn’t have to see the look of pity on Steve’s face. 

Steve laced their fingers together, giving her hand a squeeze. “We aren’t going to let you die, it’s just a broken arm, Toni. You’ve been nothing but a pain in our asses these past two days, but we don’t leave anyone behind. Not like this.”

Toni shook her head. “You’re going to get yourself killed with that I-need-to-save-everyone mentality.”

“Or, I may just meet some pretty amazing people who could turn out to be worth the trouble,” Steve murmured softly, before grinning. “Besides, I don’t steal from others and look, I haven’t broken my arm yet.”

“Alright, enough with your “sign from above” bullshit,” Toni rasped, but she afforded him a thin smile. She squeezed his hand, before raising a brow at the cool press of metal against her fingers. “You two are married,” she said matter-of-factly.

Steve smiled, a small, loving and bashful little thing. Neither of them needed to specify to who. “Yeah. Not legally or anything, but we’ve been together long before this outbreak. Known each other since we were kids. A year ago, we decided it was official enough to us and I don’t think there’s anyone I’d rather go through this hell with.”

“You two are obviously a match made in heaven,” Toni joked, closing her eyes and taking a breath. “I mean it. Both annoyingly cute together.”

“Don’t talk about our relationship with the thief,” Bucky joked offhandedly as he returned, but his brow was furrowed as he measured two thick sticks beside her broken forearm. “These’ll have to do for a splint. Alright, kid, we don’t have any anesthetic so you’re going to have to go through this without it.”

Toni laid her head back against the stone again, nodding slowly. “Fine. Okay.”

“Steve, taking that cloth on her head and gag her,” Bucky instructed, meeting Steve’s eyes. “She’ll either scream or bite her tongue off and I’d rather not deal with the consequences of either. Gag her.”

Steve took the cloth, carefully wringing out any moisture left before he twisted it and pressed it between her teeth. “You’re going to be alright, Toni, Bucky’s going to fix this.”

“Don’t make promises we can’t keep,” Bucky muttered, ignoring Steve’s pointed glare.

Toni bit down into the tattered remains of her t-shirt, chest heaving now with panic and anticipation as Bucky carefully took her arm into his hands. Even the slight movement was met with a painful protest from her arm. New tears gathered in her eyes, trailing down the side of her face and into her hairline. Steve squeezed her hand again, and Toni took that as her only warning before Bucky pressed on her forearm. Then, there was only agony. She screamed.

A minute later, her world was black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos keeping me going!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello darlings! I'm sorry for the delay, midterms and work have really gotten the best of me this past month. I'm even more sorry for those of you waiting for an update on These Kingdoms We've Built, but I promise I'm working on it. That story requires so much more plot and planning than what I put into this one! Anyways, it's the spooky month, and there was no way I was not going to update my spooky story. So here!

She was unconscious now, and had been for the past fifteen minutes. Bucky had finished setting her arm, now using their last roll of bandages to wrap Toni’s forearm and create a layer of padding. He then took the two sticks he had found, each reaching from the girl’s wrist to her elbow, and placed them on either side of her arm. He tied them into place using three torn scraps from her discarded t-shirt, finishing off the splint. Using the remaining half of the shirt, Bucky cut a line from the collar to the hemline, creating one long strip that he stretched out as best he could. 

All the while Steve sat by Toni’s side, still holding tight to her hand as if she still needed the reassurance. She didn’t look as peaceful as she had the day before when she was knocked out. Steve reached forward, taking the makeshift gag from her mouth to ease her breathing. “We can’t leave her like this.”

“How many times are you going to let her screw us over?” Came Bucky’s immediate reply, but it lacked the same heat as before. “Sit her up. Carefully.”

Steve followed the instruction, sliding an arm under her shoulders and propping her up into a sitting position. Bucky took the strip of t-shirt, folding it under her broken arm and typing the ends around her neck to create a sling. “You know we can’t leave her like this, Buck. She can’t fend for herself with one broken arm, and that’s assuming she doesn’t succumb to the pain alone.”

Bucky huffed, jaw clenching as he looked over the brunette girl. Her face was pale, a sheen of sweat forming on her brow and cheekbones. Steve knew he had to see how frail she looked. Finally, his husband scoffed and waved his hand. “I guess we can’t just leave her at the bottom of a cliff with a bad arm and no supplies. Fine. But you’re in charge of her, Steve. I mean it; if you want to be a damn hero, she’s yours to care for.”

“She’s not a wild animal, Bucky.”

“She certainly acts like one,” Bucky muttered. Despite his harsh words, Bucky shrugged off his flannel shirt, sliding her good arm through one sleeve before folding the other side over her shoulder. He buttoned it once in the middle to make sure her sling was covered. At Steve’s raised brow, Bucky looked away with a shrug. “It’s to prevent her from going into shock. You weren’t wrong: she’s in a lot of pain and she’s going to be for a while.”

“I suggest we get moving to the next town then,” Steve murmured, laying Toni back down and passing his backpack to his husband to carry. “If we’re lucky, there will be a doctor’s office or a pharmacy we can raid. She’s at least going to need some painkillers.”

Bucky packed up his bag and slid one backpack on each shoulder. Steve’s shotgun laid just to their right, alongside Bucky’s rifle. The girl must have been struggling with carrying both when the zombie scared her. They had gotten dinged up in the fall, but both were still operable and Bucky tossed the shotgun to Steve. The blonde tucked his arm through the strap before he bent down and scooped the girl up into his arms. “I meant what I said, Steve,” Bucky muttered, checking to make sure his rifle was loaded. “She’s your responsibility. My only job in this world is keeping you and me alive. That’s it.”

“Understood.” Steve was already walking forward, following the creek north towards the way they had been heading. “But you know me, Bucky, and you know I’m not going to leave anyone behind, no matter what they’ve done. It’s not how we were raised.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, following along two steps behind. “Yeah, I know you. Your moral compass is annoying as fuck, but it’s one of the reasons I love you, idiot.”

“Jerk,” Steve retorted, but he was smiling. “I love you too.”

* * *

_Chaos blanketed the airfield. The horde had overwhelmed the first line of soldiers, and now the only thing that stood between the dead and the living were a few uniformed officers firing off their pistols. The civilians had scattered, screaming and shoving at one another as they tried to force their way onto the last two airplanes prepared for takeoff. The sirens were still blaring, drawing more and more of the undead from the main road, through the gate, and into the panic._

_Toni’s only focus was on her father’s plane as it disappeared into the storm clouds brewing above._

_She was still sprawled out on the asphalt, the screams and gunfire echoing in her ears but inspiring no fear in the girl. It was all over now anyhow. This was how she would die, left on an airfield watching her only chance at survival fly away. Watching her only family fly away. Her mother was dead, probably running loose in the city attacking pedestrians. Jarvis was dead, lying lifeless on the floor of her father’s study with his head bashed in and intestines missing. At least her father was in safe hands, and maybe he would develop a cure. Maybe he would save the human race._

__Maybe they’d land in Ontario to a similar, overrun airfield and die. __

_“Alright, up you go.” Strong hands grabbed her shoulders, and Toni was rolled to her back to face a young military officer. “Come on, you’re fine, stand up.”_

_Toni blinked, taking the offered hand and pulling herself up to her feet. She looked around numbly, over the blood and carnage that had just reached the first hangar on the airfield. She blinked, unfocused eyes landing on the man. “Who are you?”_

_The soldier huffed, giving her a strange look before taking her arm gingerly, ushering her to start moving. “You’re asking that at a time like this? When we could possibly be eaten alive in a matter of minutes?” He let out an amused- if not shocked- little laugh. “First Lieutenant James Rhodes, Air Force.”_

_He led them past the row of hangars, and out into the open field that varied between tarmac and sparse, yellow-green grass. Toni glanced back over her shoulder and instantly regretted it. The horde was now having a run at all the civilians pushing into the planes, and it was clear that neither plane would ever be taking off. A few other officers were following their lead, racing across the field with pistols in hand and fear on their face. Toni turned forward again, looking over the lieutenant that had saved her. He was older, probably twenty-four or twenty-five if Toni had to wager a guess. There was a sheen of sweat on his dark skin, and it was clear that the poor soldier must have been running back and forth all day preparing for this. He was dressed in combat uniform, camo pants tucked into tan boots. His cap had been lost somewhere in the panic._

_“Where are we going?” Toni finally asked, though it was clear the man was obviously aiming them towards an administration building in the far corner of the field._

_“The parking lot. Only way we’re getting out of here is in a car,” Rhodes called over his shoulder, giving Toni’s arm a little tug to make sure she kept pace. “Assuming the building hasn’t already been overrun.”_

_That was a bold assumption, compared to the chaos behind them._

_Rhodes stopped running at the back corner of the building, briskly following along the wall and towards the parking lot in the front. Toni made the mistake of looking into one of the windows, finding a secretary slumped over her desk, blood dripping slowly over the edge and onto the tile floor. Looks like the hangers weren’t the first point of infiltration on the base. “There’s my car,” Rhodes called to her over the wailing sirens, pointing to a silver Toyota Camry parked two rows ahead of them. “Keep close, alright?”_

_Rhodes was already moving before she could answer, and Toni was stumbling to keep up with the man. He was looking around the empty parking lot, pausing next to the hood of one car and peeking out across the open fifteen feet of asphalt between their row of cars and the next one. He stepped out, racing forward to his car and fishing in his pocket for his keys. He unlocked the car and Toni slid into the passenger seat, locking the door behind her while Rhodes fumbled to start the engine. She glanced over to the car next to them, hand covering her mouth when she met the eyes of a woman sitting in the driver’s seat. Was she alive? Was she dea- The woman smacked her hand against the window, opening her mouth to snarl and Toni had to look away as blood dripped past her lips and down her chin. Definitely dead._

_The lieutenant started the car and backed out, flooring it out of the parking lot and towards the exit. There was a guard’s booth at the center of the exit, controlling levers on either side that allowed passage in and out. There was no guards inside, but there was three creatures stuck on the orange and white lever, pushing into it as if it would disappear on its own. They must not have been as lucky as the others to wedge their way into the parking lot. Rhodes reached a hand over, arm bracing against Toni’s chest and she was about to question him when he accelerated and rammed through the obstacle. Toni flinched, the bodies either rolling over or under the car while the lever snapped at the pressure. They swerved out onto the back road, the soldier placing both hands back on the wheel to control the spin._

_Once they were straightened out and heading back through the trees, the lieutenant took a breath, before he laughed. It started quiet and disbelieving, before it broke into outright hilarity. “I cannot believe that fucking worked, Jesus,” Rhodes breathed, finally looking over at the girl. She stared back, and maybe it was the numbness of the situation wearing off, but Toni found herself smiling slowly. It did fucking work, didn’t it? “What’s your name, kid?”_

_She glanced down as Rhodes offered his hand to her before taking it. “Toni. Toni Stark.”_

* * *

They had been walking for nearly seven hours, only taking a break once to split a bottle of water and a can of expired soup between the two of them. The forest had given away to overgrown cornfields, but the sun was setting rapidly and they were still at least a mile out from the next town. As much as Bucky wanted to push forward to their destination, the lack of light did not create an optimal situation for passing dense fields and a new, possibly overrun town. They needed shelter for the night. _More importantly, the girl was slowing them down_. 

Bucky’s eyes flicked over towards Steve. The girl was settled on his back now, still unconscious and still sickly pale. She was pressed against his back, broken arm wedged protectively between their bodies while her good arm was thrown around Steve’s neck to balance her. His husband had a grip on her legs around his waist, bent forward to prevent her from slipping. Steve was keeping pace, but he was exhausted and Bucky could tell. Split between his principles, helping his lover on the one hand and proving a point on the other, he finally groaned and slowed to a stop. “Come on, give me the girl,” he ordered, shrugging both backpacks off and dropping them on the asphalt.

Steve stopped suddenly, the request jarring him. “No,” the blonde assured, hiking Toni farther up on his back. “I’ve got her. I told you she would be my responsibility and I’m taking care of it. I can carry her to the town.”

“Steve, we aren’t even going to make it to the town before sundown. We need to find shelter and you need a break,” Bucky was already approaching, sliding his rifle onto his back. He wrapped one arm around Toni’s back and the other under her bottom before pulling her off of Steve. “I can handle her for the next half hour while we find a place to settle.”

Steve looked like he wanted to argue, but he also looked relieved to be able to stretch his arms out. “We can see if there are any residences around here.” 

“Sounds like a plan. Take the backpacks,” Bucky requested, curling Toni towards his chest and continuing on. “We’re coming up on a dirt road. Let’s see where it goes.”

The road itself was overgrown, thick grasses spilling over the pale dirt and brushing at Bucky’s calves as he waded through them. Steve led the way, shoving back what he could for Bucky using the barrel of his shotgun. In his arms, Toni looked smaller than before. Her brow was furrowed and her jaw was clenched, the slow rise and fall of her chest the only indication she was okay. Bucky had to admit, going through a broken arm in a world like this was shit cards to be dealt, and the road ahead of her wasn’t easy. But she had handled it with strength and that was something to be admired, if she hadn’t nearly succeeded in robbing them of all their supplies. A broken arm was karma and Bucky refused to feel too bad for her. Bucky was so busy studying the girl that he nearly rammed into Steve’s back when the blonde abruptly stopped. “Hey, whoa. What is it?” Bucky asked, taking a step back before he jarred Toni too much.

“A barn. To the left there. It’s as good a place as any to take shelter for the night. We don’t really have the light to keep looking,” Steve admitted, already turning to the left and shoving through the grasses. 

The structure was large, tucked in what must be the back corner of the old cornfield. Its exterior had been badly weathered, the once bright blue paint that had decorated its walls now chipped and stained. Steve stepped before the door, carefully unlatching it. After a moment of struggle, Steve was able to push the door open with a squeal of rusted hinges. The blonde gave Bucky a brief look, before raising his shotgun and stepping into the building. Sunlight streamed through the holes in the eroding tin roof, giving enough light to illuminate their path. There was four horse stalls, two on each side face each other. A workbench occupied one corner to their left, while a hose and other various equipment took the space to their right. Steve moved ahead and peaked into each stall, before he finally lowered his shotgun and placed it on the workbench. “It’s empty. Nothing in here,” he assured, moving back to close and bolt the door. 

“Not too shabby. I think we’ll make the night,” Bucky joked, stopping before the pile of hay outside one of the stalls. “Here we go,” he declared, laying Toni down gently into the straw before he grabbed the tin bucket beneath the workbench. “Anything of use around here that we can take?”

“Not unless you want to lug around a saddle,” Steve joked, kicking through the equipment. “Plan on riding any horses in the future?”

Bucky snorted, stuffing some of the straw into the bucket before he fished around in his backpack for a book of matches. “Horses? Can’t say they’re on my post-apocalyptic bucket list.” He lit their last match, before tossing it into the bucket and producing a small fire to light the barn better. “You should get some sleep.”

“What? No, you need it just as-“

“Steve, you spent most of the day carrying her around. Take a fucking rest. I have no problem keeping watch, which obviously one of us needs to do,” Bucky assured, snatching up a thick blanket that was folded over the wall of one of the stall before tossing it to the blonde. “We were too reckless last night in the apartment sleeping at the same time. I’m not giving anyone the chance to fuck us over again. Dead or alive.” 

Steve gave him a soft look, but finally obliged and moved to one of the corners to lay out the blanket. “Fine. But at least eat something. Don’t think I didn’t notice you giving me more of the soup earlier.” The blonde approached, leaning in and pressing his lips to Bucky’s for a brief moment. “Goodnight. Wake me in a few hours for my turn.”

“Yes sir,” Bucky smiled, gladly accepting the kiss before taking a seat in the straw beside the girl. He pulled the bucket closer, watching Steve settle down on the blanket before fishing through his backpack. They didn’t really have any food to spare: one can of beans left. Christ, they needed a lucky break looting that town tomorrow. Actually, they just need a lucky break all together.

* * *

_“Are you alright?”_

_Toni glanced over at the lieutenant, who was periodically watching her in the corner of his eyes while he sped down the country roads. The adrenaline and the hilarity had worn off, and Toni was now left watching the rows of cornfields pass her window. “Not really, no. You?”_

_“Not really,” Rhodes agreed, scrubbing a hand over his face before gripping the steering wheel tightly. “How did all of this happen?”_

_“We’d be stupid to believe that this happened all of a sudden. No, this is the work of the government messing with things that they shouldn’t have, and losing control,” Toni muttered._

_Rhodes scoffed, but he didn’t disagree and maybe that said more than anything. “You were supposed to get on one of those planes back there, weren’t you?”_

_Toni’s fists clenched. “Yes. My dad was being moved to a base in Ontario and I was part of the package. But I…the plane took off.”_

_“At least… at least your father made it out. And so did you,” Rhodes assured, glancing back over at her. “That means there’s still a chance for you two to be reunited.”_

_“Are you kidding? Do you see what’s going on out there? There’s no way one of us will survive, let alone both,” Toni argued, crossing her arms and turning her attention back to the farmland._

_“Did anyone ever tell you how optimistic you are?”_

_Toni couldn’t help but crack a smile. “What’s the plan here, Rhodes? Where are we going?”_

_Rhodes looked conflicted, and Toni realized he didn’t really have an answer for her. “The military is…it’s as good as gone. As of a half an hour ago, most of the local and small town bases across the country fell. The big strongholds and blockades in the cities are as good as gone too. They can’t contain it.”_

_Toni nodded slowly, processing the information. “Well, the cities are a no-go. And towns too. Not with this shit going down. I say… we find shelter for the night? Regroup?”_

_They couldn’t keep driving forever with how bad the roads had gotten, and they had no food or water in the car. Perhaps they could stop at a house, find other survivors and gather some supplies. Rhodes seemed to have the same thought because he nodded, turning down a driveway towards a large farmhouse tucked back behind the fields. There was no cars in the driveway, which was promising. Less people to deal with. The lieutenant stopped the car, and Toni moved to climb out before he caught her arm. “You don’t have a weapon. Stay behind me just in case there are hostiles inside.” He didn’t elaborate whether he meant living or dead._

_They exited the car and climbed up the porch steps, Rhodes knocking sharply twice on the door. No response. The soldier gave Toni a small look before he opened the screen door and tested the doorknob on the front door. “Unlocked,” he murmured, pushing it open and stepping inside. “Hello?” he called out._

_The place looked ransacked, clothes decorating the staircase while the living room to the left was torn apart. A few of the picture frames on the wall were shattered, the photos that were once incased inside gone. “They must have left and took what they could,” Toni murmured, trailing her fingers along the frame of one of the family portraits. A man with two daughters, probably no older than nine or ten. “I think we’ll be able to spend the night here without being bothered.”_

_Rhodes stepped out from the kitchen, pistol still in hand as he glanced around the room. “Lock the doors and block them. I’ll go check upstairs and-“_

_A thump._

_Toni met the soldier’s eyes before they slowly looked up towards the ceiling. Rhodes pressed a finger to his lips, before pointing to the ground to indicate that she stay there. Toni glowered at his back as he began for the stairs, before she moved to the living room’s fireplace and grabbed the fire poker. Toni ascended the stairs two steps behind him, ignoring his glare at her over his shoulder. The stairs had a small landing at the top, with a three doors. The door straight ahead of them was open and led to a small bathroom. The door to their left opened to a large master bedroom which, after a moment of searching, Toni confirmed was empty with a thumbs up to the lieutenant. Rhodes nodded, turning to the last door that was closed. He wrapped his hand around the knob and pushed it open slowly, Toni on her toes to peer over his shoulder. There was a small, blonde child standing before the window, hands pressed to the glass with her back to them. She must have been one of the girls from the family photo. “Hey, sweetheart, are you alright?” Rhodes began, opening the door a little wider and stepping inside._

_The girl’s head jerked to the side, her long, blonde braid swinging with the movement before she turned to face them. White eyes, blood trailing down her chin and staining the front of her pajamas. She moved forward towards them with a feral snarl, and Toni flinched when Rhodes pulled the trigger and the girl dropped to the ground like dead weight. Toni couldn’t see the soldier’s face, but his shoulders were tense. He closed the bedroom door again, smoothing a hand over his mouth before looking back to Toni. “Let’s go barricade the doors,” he muttered quietly, eyes on the floor as he descended the stairs._

* * *

“It smells like a fucking barnyard.”

Bucky jolted, finger sliding over the trigger of his rifle for the briefest of moments before he registered the voice. It was well into the night now, moonlight replacing the sunlight seeping through the holes in the roof. Bucky had been lulled by the peaceful scene, listening to the sounds of Steve’s soft snoring intertwining with the gentles flicks of the flames. The voice was quiet and raspy, tense with pain and discomfort, and yet it still sounded like shouting in the quiet of the barn. His brown eyes looked to his side where Toni was laid out in the straw, her own blue eyes watching him. Her pale features were tinted orange in the firelight, body tense like she wanted to move but either couldn’t manage the motion or was too afraid of the pain. Bucky relaxed, rolling out his shoulders and leaning back into the straw. “Well, we’re in a barn.”

Toni huffed, rolling her head back to face the ceiling. “Why didn’t you leave me there?”

“Because- and this may shock you- not everyone in this world is an asshole like you,” Bucky muttered, setting his rifle aside and crossing his arms. “Thank Steve. He has an inability to leave people behind, even when they deserve it.”

She didn’t respond, and Bucky looked over to find her nodding her head in agreement. She looked tired and pained, looked so young. Bucky remembered what it was like living on the streets in Brooklyn, doing whatever it took to care for him and Steve. At least he had Steve, this girl had been so fucked up she believed being alone was better than having anyone around. Bucky groaned, reaching over into his backpack and fishing out a water bottle. “Alright, kid, look at me,” he directed, cupping her chin and forcing her to look at him. 

He brought the bottle to her lips, lifting her head enough for her to drink. She drained half of the bottle before she tipped her head away and cleared her throat. “Where are we?”

“About a mile out from the next town,” Bucky explained, capping the water and tucking it back into his bag. “We’re hoping to stock up on supplies and find you some pain meds. How’s the arm?”

“Hurts like a bitch,” Toni mumbled, glaring down at the offending limb before laying her head back in the straw tiredly. “Thank you. For resetting it.”

Bucky shrugged, tossing a handful of hay into the fire. “Couldn’t leave you there with a fucked up arm. You took quite a fall there.”

“I was carrying too much. That thing came out of nowhere and I didn’t have time to aim properly before I was slipping over the edge,” Toni explained, her good hand picking at the hem of Bucky’s flannel shirt wrapped around her. “You gonna leave me in this next town?”

“I don’t think we were planning on it, not that we’ve planned that far,” Bucky admitted, looking back to the girl and motioning to the arm. “It’s not like you can really fend for yourself like that. And like I said, Steve doesn’t leave anybody behind. But let me tell you, if you want to stay with us, you’re going to play by our rules. You’re going to listen to us and you definitely are not going to fuck us over like before. You hear me?”

Toni rolled her eyes, before waved her good hand dismissively. Bucky could see the resignation on her face; she knew she had no other options than to rely on the two of them. “ _Fine_ ,” she muttered with all the exasperation of a moody teenager. “Do you two have a destination in mind?”

“Not particularly. They entire continent is shitty.” They didn’t have access to electricity or news, but Bucky had to imagine that the rest of the world was just as fucked. “We’re just moving from town to town, trying to make it by. What? Did you have a destination in mind, Miss I-Don’t-Need-Anyone?”

“North.”

Bucky frowned, leaning forward to meet her eyes but she decisively would not look at him. “And what’s north?”

“Stuff. That’s the way I’m going,” Toni muttered.

Bucky scoffed, shaking his head and settling back into the straw. “We are not following your lead without knowing what you’re heading towards. I’m gonna need a lot more than ‘stuff’.”

Toni finally looked to him, gaze hard and fists clenched. “Family. Family is north.”

She wouldn’t elaborate more on that and Bucky didn’t push. How could she guarantee that her family was even alive? In this world, it was easier to just assume everyone is dead. But he was reminded how young she was, even younger when the country first fell. She didn’t have a normal transition into adulthood and maybe clinging to the idea of living family was all she had. And she had very little. Bucky’s jaw clenched, and he turned back to the fire, twirling a piece of straw in his hands. Finally, he huffed. “North it is, then.” He heard her shift to look at him, but he kept his eyes on the flames. “Get some rest.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone notice I added Rhodey to the character tags? Surprise!
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated and cherished!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! I know its been forever, but between school and my new job, spare time has been few and far between. But I'm here now, with a new chapter! And I think I can guarantee you can expect another chapter before Christmas and both this and These Kingdoms We've Built, I just have to get past finals. So for now, enjoy this chapter and our first look into the rise and fall of broody Toni!

She woke to soft voices- not that Toni was truly asleep to begin with. She was caught in a perpetual cycle of drifting in and out of consciousness, the pain from her arm ripping her back into awareness before she could get too close. But it was those gentle whispers that finally encouraged the girl to open her eyes, her tired gaze landing on her two new companions. They stood before the workbench, backpacks splayed open before them as they took stock of what supplies they had left and reorganized. Every now and then, the brunet man would nudge his hip against his partner’s, muttering something lowly that would bring a warm grin to the blonde’s face. Was that love?

_Love doesn’t exist in this world. It hardy existed in the old world._

Toni rubbed her good hand over her eyes, before she summoned the strength to heft herself up from the hay and into a sitting position. The movement sparked a sharp pain throughout her entire right side, something between a gasp and a pained squeak escaping her lips. It caught the couple’s attention, and the blonde was immediately moving towards her. “Easy, now. You’re going to make yourself pass out again if you push yourself too hard,” he warned, one large hand smoothing over her back to ground her. 

Toni took a deep breath through her nose, blue eyes flicking up to meet the blonde’s- Steve’s. His name was Steve. That’s right. In the same moment she shrugged away his hand, turning her gaze away towards the dirt floor beneath her boots. The brunet- Bucky- snorted, zipping up his pack and tugging it over his shoulder. “We need to get moving. We’re wasting daylight and we’re going to need all the time we can get to hit the town and find food and shelter for the night. We’re basically out of food.”

“He’s right,” Steve said firmly, nodding his head and holding a hand out to Toni. “Come on, I’ll carry you. You’re still in no condition to walk.”

“I don’t need you coddling me,” Toni muttered, and after a long moment of bracing herself, Toni shifted to her knees and pushed herself up. She swayed briefly, before clenching her jaw and straightening out. “Bad enough we’re stuck with each other while my arm heals. Doesn’t mean I can’t still take care of myself in some regard.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, pressing the second backpack into Steve’s arms and pulling his husband up. “If she’s so sure of herself, we might as well leave her here.” Steve gave him a sharp look. “I’m _kidding_. Who am I to let a stupid kid wander helplessly on her own?”

Toni glowered at the brunet, but instead of offering a snippy reply she turned for the door. “Let’s go. The only people wasting daylight are you idiots.”

“I think she likes us,” Bucky huffed under his breath sarcastically to Steve, moving to slide the barn door open.

“Play nice,” Steve warned, and it was unclear exactly which one he was talking to. “Lead the way, Buck. I’ll take up the rear.”

Toni stepped out into the fresh air, glad to be free of the stuffy barn. They were in the middle of a cornfield, tall grasses brushing against her legs as Bucky pushed down the majority of the stalks in their way. The sun wasn’t shining, instead replaced with light gray clouds that threatened rain. The fall wind tugged at her waves, and the girl wouldn’t admit it, but she was grateful for Bucky’s flannel wrapped tight around her shoulders. She’d need to find a change of clothes in town, as well as food, and a weapon, and pain medication. Fuck it, she was started at ground zero. Her blues eyes studied the back of Bucky’s head before her, the rubber band restraining his hair into a small bun at the crown of his head, the tight line of his shoulders as he used his rifle to push aside the grasses. Behind her, Steve cocked his shotgun once, brow furrowed as he scanned the area around them over and over. Why were the really helping her? 

_Nothing is free in the new world. Favors are the new commodity._

They wouldn’t take her in just because they felt bad for her condition. So what did they want? 

_It’s eat or be eaten. Be someone’s lion before you’re their sheep._

How was she going to protect herself from them? How was she going to walk out of this on top?

* * *

_“I found a few cans of soup in the top cabinet. I’m heating them up on the stove now; figured we both could use something to eat.”_

_Lieutenant Rhodes’ only response was the sound of a heavy object scrapping against wooden floors as he pushed the china cabinet in front of the front door. Toni leaned against the kitchen door frame, crossing her arms and studying the tension in the soldier’s shoulders. He spent a minute adjusting the cabinet to make sure the door couldn’t be opened from the outside without major resistance. When Rhodes noticed she was still watching him, he sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “I should work on blocking the door to the back porch.”_

_“You had no other option,” Toni responded, motioning towards the stairs. The Lieutenant didn’t have to ask to know what she was referring to. “She was already turned-“_

_“She was a_ child _, Toni.” Rhodes made a face, smoothing his hand over his mouth and sucking in an annoyed breath. “And I put a bullet in her head.”_

_Toni caught his arm when he tried to pass her into kitchen, looking up and meeting the man’s eyes. “She was already dead. Even her own family had to come to those terms and leave her behind.”_

_“Yeah, but her father didn’t kill her. He locked her away upstairs because he couldn’t do it himself,” Rhodes argued._

_Toni opened her mouth to argue, but paused when the lights flickered. Once, twice, and with a humming sound, they shut off all together. Their eyes met and Toni made a sad sound. “Power plants are down.”_

_“Probably for good,” Rhodes whispered, gently brushing her hand from his arm and nodding towards the porch door. “I saw some firewood stacked out by the shed. I’ll get a fire going in the fireplace.”_

_Toni let him go this time. With a sigh she grabbed the pot from the stove and divided the tomato soup between the two porcelain bowls she had found in the cabinet. She carried them to the living room and sat on the couch, placing both bowls on the coffee table beside a vase of drooping lilies and a stack of magazines as she waited for Rhodes. The lieutenant returned minutes later, three logs stacked in his arms that he promptly tossed into the fireplace. “Hand me that magazine?” he asked without turning around._

_Toni stood and grabbed a magazine from the side table, crouching down beside Rhodes and tearing a few pages loose. “It’s not fair, what happened to the girl. In fact, this entire fucking virus isn’t fair,” she began, balling up the loose pages and pressing them beneath the logs. “But what you had to do upstairs? That’s not your fault. You did her a service, because now she can rest in peace rather than spend the rest of her days as a creature, locked away in some farmhouse bedroom.”_

_Toni didn’t believe in God, but she could believe in a certain peace to having your body completely dead rather than roaming the country side looking to eat flesh. Rhodes, after a long moment, nodded and stood to grab the book of matches on the mantle. “You’re right,” he admitted, striking a match and tossing it in._

_When Toni looked up, the orange flames danced across his somber expression._

* * *

The sky was marred with deep gray clouds now, thunder rumbling in the far distance. Bucky cursed their luck. They had been walking for almost an hour now, the little town proving to be farther than originally thought from their little barn. Or perhaps they were just slower than usual. Bucky’s eyes flicked to the side, where Toni was struggling to keep pace beside Steve. She was still sickly pale, a sheen of sweat on her skin despite the crisp fall air. Her good arm was wrapped gingerly around her broken one, as if to shield it from the harsh tugs of the storm’s breeze. She wasn’t going to make it much longer if they didn’t get her some form of medication soon; all this strain on her small body would make her much more susceptible to infection. _The_ infection. 

Still, he had to admire her strength- or, more accurately, her stubbornness. Each step she took with those worn boots was a deliberate stomp, like she had to summon the mental encouragement with each swing of her foot. She made it much farther than he thought she would, and each time Steve extended a gentle hand to help her over or around something, she jerked away and stubbornly did it herself. Headstrong girl.

A cool speck of water pelted against his forehead, and Bucky looked up to curse their luck a little more directly. They couldn’t afford to get caught in a storm, not when they still had to make to town, loot, and find shelter. Another drop hit his cheek and Bucky sighed, shoving his bag higher on his back and swerving in their path to walk beside Toni. “Come here, brat,” he muttered, reaching for her despite Toni’s recoiling. “We need to pick up the pace, you’re slowing us down,” he argued matter-of-factly.

Steve smacked his arm anyhow. “What Bucky meant to say is that we’re trying to help you, because right now, we’re a team. A team that really needs to make it to town.”

“I can do it. I don’t need help,” Toni snarled, shoving past the two with her good shoulder. “The only thing slowing us down is your talking.”

Bucky huffed, stalking forward towards the brunette with all intentions of grabbing her. He could carry her against her will; it’s not like she’d be able to put up much of a fight. But before he could, Toni’s foot caught a crack in the crumbling asphalt and she fell to her knee, bracing herself before she could hit her arm. “Fuck,” she swore, her good hand clenched in a fist.

Bucky stopped beside the girl, but his hand stretched out to her in gentle offering rather than coercion. Toni glowered at his palm, before she finally clasped her hand around his fingers and used the grip to heft herself up. She didn’t thank him, but she did shift on her feet a moment before huffing. “Fine,” she muttered, slender arm curling around his shoulders while Bucky bent down enough to wrap an arm under her knee and heft her up. “But only because I want to get out of the rain, not because I want your help.”

“Sure thing, Rambo. Just hold on,” Bucky grunted, nodding his head to Steve and pushing forward. 

He didn’t care to analyze that smile on Steve’s face.

* * *

The town was a good size, and by the lack of shatter windows in the storefronts, the looting must have been at a minimum in the days following the outbreak. The rain was a steady drizzle now, and Steve had to shove his soaking blonde locks out of his eyes. “Where should we start? Looks like there’s a general store over there on the corner, and a supermarket just down the street. Maybe there will be a clothing store nearby-“

“Doctor’s office.”

Bucky’s gruff tone caught Steve’s attention, and he turned to find his husband studying the girl in his arms with a furrowed brow. Her eyes were closed in a pained wince, but Steve was sure she was sleeping. How she could sleep with the rain and- no, he got it. Sleeping was better than feeling the pain. “Doctor’s office,” Steve agreed, touching Bucky’s arm and leading him forward.

The first few buildings were private residences, something they could loot on their second or third day in this town. Then can the general store and a lawyer’s office, a small government building and- “There,” Bucky murmured, stopping before a brick building tucked between two restaurants. The glass was grimy and covered in dust, and one twist of the golden doorknob found the business locked. “Doesn’t look like it was touched in a while, if at all.”

Steve nodded his agreement, and with one sharp jerk, he rammed the butt of his shotgun into the doorknob and broke it off. Much quieter than breaking the glass. Steve led the way in, shotgun raised as he studied what must have been the waiting room. The blue, leather-bound chairs were toppled, but there was no signs of panic or struggle that was common among the medical buildings they crossed. Most of them Steve and Bucky had ever crossed were ransacked, if not filled with the dead thanks to infected people flooding the emergency rooms and clinics with the hopes of curing their viruses and saving their loved ones. But this one was in relatively good condition, which meant it must have been closed during the outbreak or the locals hadn’t bothered. Steve checked behind the reception desk, before leading them down the hallway with five closed doors.

The first one on the right was an exam room and appeared empty, so Steve ushered his lover inside. There was a window on the far wall, and with a tug on the blinds, Steve had dull light streaming into the room. “Close the door. I’ll make sure the rest of the place is clear and see what I can find for medication or supplies,” Steve ordered, nodding once at the ‘be careful’ Bucky threw his way.

The blonde continued on down the hall, opening each door slowly and peaking his head inside. The rooms on the left had no windows and were near pitch black inside, but nothing stirred at his entrance and he deemed them safe. The door at the end of the hall was just a bathroom, which left the second door on the right. With a brief pause, Steve twisted the knob with all intentions of shoving inside, but it was locked. Did he want to know what was on the other side?

After a moment, Steve knocked on the door softly and was almost immediately met with a shuffling sound. Dragging footsteps approached the door, before there was a low snarl and a thump against the wood. Walker. Steve moved for the waiting room, snatching up one of the topple chairs and bringing it down the hall to prop under the doorknob. It was already locked and the thing obviously hadn’t managed to get out, but Steve was always one for caution. After that, he moved for the reception area again, opening the desk drawer and rooting around inside. The bottom left drawer produced what he was looking for: a small, emergency flashlight. With a twist of its end the light flickered on and Steve went back towards Bucky’s exam room. He opened the door slowly, peeking in on the two. “How are we looking?”

The girl was sprawled across the padded exam table, but her eyes were half-lidded as she watched Bucky root through the cabinets. “I can’t see a damn thing- here, give me that,” Bucky took the flashlight, pulling out the various boxes of tongue depressors, gauze, gloves and other supplies. “We should have found a pharmacy first, this doctor has shit for pain meds. I mean I know they write prescriptions, but you’d think they’d have the hard stuff locked up somewhere around here for emergencies.”

“Easy, we’ll find something,” Steve assured, smoothing a hand down Bucky’s back before shifting towards Toni and leaning down to meet her eyes. “Are you feeling alright?”

Her tired eyes slowly found Steve’s, but she offered no snarky comment or insult. Somehow, that was more concerning. Instead, she just shook her head slowly and turned her gaze up towards the ceiling. Steve squeezed her hand, before turning to Bucky. “There are two rooms across the hall. Try them and see if they have a supply closet or something. Just stay out of the room beside us.”

Bucky didn’t have to ask why and he didn’t, simply nodding and taking the flashlight with him. Steve turned back to the girl, taking up her hand again and holding it tight. “I know you’re not doing so hot, but Bucky and I are going to take care of you. I promise.” She looked so doubtful and unsure of his statement that Steve almost faltered. She really couldn’t bring herself to trust him, after all they’ve done for her. What had happened in her past? “Toni, look at me. Hey,” Steve insisted, taking her chin. “I don’t know who hurt you before, but Buck and I? We’ll never do that. We brought you this far, we only intend on helping you further.”

“You say that, but you don’t mean it. Nobody does something to be nice, they do it so that they can get something in return,” Toni argued, voice thin and wispy as she shook her head. “It’s a nice thought, though, people helping others for the hell of it. So my question, Steve, is what do you want from me?”

Steve’s gaze was fierce as he squeezed her hand again and brought it to his chest. “Just want you to survive. Just want you to let me and Bucky care for you. We don’t leave anyone behind, not like this.”

Toni looked him over, eyes darting over Steve’s expression as if looking for even the smallest indication that he was lying. She opened her mouth to respond, finally, when the door opened again and Bucky came in. “Grab the water bottle from my bag,” he ordered, and Steve readily complied. He brought the bottle forward, with the last few sips of water inside. “I found a morphine tablet in the receptionist’s desk. Looks like the employees were dipping into the private stash.”

Bucky helped Toni sit up gingerly, bringing the tablet to her lips and grabbing the water bottle, tipping it up so that Toni could wash down the medication. Steve frowned, taking the bottle back and shoving it in their bag. “I don’t know, Buck. Morphine?”

“She needed something, Stevie. Anything. It’s just one tablet; we’ll find her a box of Tylenol or ibuprofen or something to switch to when we loot. For now, she just had to get over this hump of pain,” Bucky insisted, laying the girl back down and smoothing a hand over his face. “For now, this is the best we can do.”

Steve knew he was right.

* * *

_Toni stirred, prying her eyes open tiredly to find the living room submerged in the dark of night. She was slumped over on the couch, a knitted blanket wrapped around her tightly. Pushing herself up slowly, Toni glanced about the room from the empty soup bowls discarded on the coffee table to the dying embers of the fire. Last she remembered, she and Rhodes had been eating their soup, discussing things they enjoyed from before the virus. Speaking of…_

_The lieutenant was nowhere to be seen. On edge now, muscles tense with the prospect that her new and only companion was now missing, Toni sprung from the couch and towards the kitchen. Perhaps he just wanted to be alone. Maybe she’d find him at the kitchen table or-_

_The porch door was closed, but the refrigerator that had been barricading it had been shoved aside. A soft, yellow light was visible through the window. Tugging the blanket tighter around her shoulders, Toni reached over to steal a kitchen knife from the block on the counter before she bravely tugged open the porch door. The back porch was large, wrapping around the sides of the house towards the front. The wood was worn, once painted white and now chipping under frequent foot traffic._

_Toni imagined two young girls, throwing open the porch door each summer day and racing out towards the fields to great their father._

_The yellow light she had seen came from a small, Coleman camping lantern that was perched in the glass at the base of the porch steps. A few feet forward, just at the edge of the light’s reach, stood a figure. Toni’s demeanor softened and she lowered the knife when she registered the lieutenant. There was a glint of metal and Toni made out the shovel in his hand, which drew her to the fact that Rhodes’ legs disappeared four feet into the ground. The hole wasn’t a perfect square, but it was as close as could be managed in the middle of the night. He was looking back at her, shovel raised in his grip as if he was about to strike the fresh earth again. Toni didn’t have to ask to know what he was doing; a glance to her left and Toni found a small lump on the porch bench tucked before the kitchen window. The lump was wrapped in a white sheet, speckled with pink butterflies and black blood._

_The shovel struck the earth again._

_Toni didn’t say a word, simply taking a seat down on the steps and tucking the blanket over her legs. She watched him for what must have been at least ten more minutes, before Rhodes drove the shovel into the grass and approached the porch. He took the body from the bench, and gingerly carried it to the hole where he laid it into the dirt. Toni stood then, approaching the man and falling into place to his right. “This is nice. A better ending.”_

_“I found the lantern and the shovel in the shed.” He voice was strained. Toni remembered the soldier who drove through the guard post at the base, the wild laughter spurred by adrenaline. Now, the weight of their new situation hung heavy in the air, and it showed in the glittering tears in Rhodes’ eyes. “I couldn’t sleep.”_

_Toni merely nodded, wrapping her hand around his arm and leaning into the older man. “It’s not fair. Not for those of us who got to see what the world was like before the infection. Not for those who never got to experience that world.”_

_“She’s in a better place,” Rhodes whispered._

_That statement had never been truer. Because no matter what death brings, whether it’s an afterlife in heaven or eternal darkness, anything is better than this hell. A fallen society, overrun by the living dead. It was a nightmare land now, and most would welcome death in the face of it. Toni crouched beside the hole, eyes scanning over the white form one last time. A child, separated from her father by death. Just like Toni, in a similar sense. The dirt walls of the whole were near black, making the white sheet stand out in sharp contrast. Little pink fabric butterflies, signifying metamorphosis. Transformation. A new life. It was a transformation that Toni was caught in, not just changing from a teenager to an adult, but from a normal society into a broken one. In a sick and simplistic way, this little child had her own transformation. From life, to death, to life again._

_Or some sick parody of life again._

_And back to death._

_Poor child, who never truly experience life for herself. Poor child, whose room was decorated in butterflies and flowers and simple pleasures that made her feel safe and happy with the world. A thought crossed her mind. “Wait,” Toni murmured, turning away and racing towards the farmhouse._

_She returned moments later, brandishing a handful of the wilting lilies that had decorated the coffee table. It was no fresh bouquet, but it was a little comfort. A reminder of simpler times. A proper send off. Toni knelt down, gingerly placing the bouquet on top of the body. “There. That’s better,” she whispered, straightening one of the petals before leaning back. “Goodbye, kid.”_

_Rhodes reached over her, taking a handful of dirt from his pile and tossing it onto the body. The dark soil splattered violently across the white sheet. He didn’t say anything of substance, no eulogy or apology, but Toni heard a distinct_ “amen” _beneath his breath. Did he still believe in a god after what they witnessed at the base? Or was it habit? Some semblance of comfort, from simpler times?_

_The shovel hit the pile and Toni watched as Rhodes tossed scoop after scoop of dirt back into the hole. A few minutes and all that was left to mark the body was a mound of fresh turned soil packed down neatly. The lieutenant turned away, stabbing the shovel into the grass and taking a seat on the porch steps. After a moment, Toni joined him. Slumping down onto the creaky step, Toni leaned over and gingerly rested her cheek against Rhodes’ shoulder. “This was nice of you.”_

_“She deserved a proper burial. The world may be going to hell, but that doesn’t mean we should lose our ways,” Rhodes whispered, wrapping an arm around the teen. “It’s all we have left.”_

_Toni hummed her agreement. Up until now, the infection hadn’t seemed real. Toni had left her home in Manhattan and the airfield in a daze, never fully processing what was happening around her. But now she did. She knew what this new order was about._

_Death._

_Death was claiming territory, body to body, and soon, it wouldn’t need an infection to do it. Death was now Toni’s world, tearing down her future, her college goals and career choices, and constructing one sole doctrine to guide her life._

_Metamorphosis indeed._

_Toni looked up at Rhodes, her only companion now in this world. The true question was, just how much was death going to claim from her?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is! 
> 
> Kudos and comment are much appreciated as always!


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